A Second Life
by Care93
Summary: It is fifteen years after Derek's death. Meredith and her children have moved on, or so they thought. Ellie Shepard finds herself in an unfamiliar hospital room with a stranger. She feels connected with the man who has been in a coma for years and doesn't even remember who he is. After this unlikely and fortunate crossing of paths, all of their lives will be changed forever.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Ellie Shepard was huddled in the corner of a dark room in a random hospital. She didn't know where she was, and she didn't care. She just had to get away from all the doctors asking questions and trying to contact her mother. She didn't want her mom to know where she was. She didn't want anyone to know where she was- she was upset and oddly embarrassed. She shouldn't be embarrassed; none of this was her fault. Still she felt so upset she couldn't even think of a word to describe it. Then she thought of it. She never really completely felt like she understood what her mother meant by "dark and twisty" until now.

As she sat soaking wet from the rain, with blood still dripping down her face from the cut above her eyebrow and glass in her hair, she thought back to how the night unfolded. How did she, Ellie, a 15 year-old sophomore with a seemingly boring life until now, end up here…

Thinking back, this has been coming for a long time, since she was 7 and her mom brought home Paul, a well-established politician in Seattle. She never really liked Paul, but her mom never brought home guys, she never even dated guys, her job was her work and take care of her her kids. So when she brought home Paul, wise leader of the pack Zola, then 12, took her and 10 year old Bailey aside and told them to act like they liked Paul for their mom. Ellie always wanted her mom to be happy.

Before she knew it Paul had moved in. It was a happy time for a few months, until rebellious and rambunctious 7-year-old Ellie knocked over some valuable things in his office and accidentally colored on important campaign documents. He was outraged, and she had never been so scared in her life. He slapped her so hard. She still remembered the shocked look on his face when she just started at him defiantly and angry. She had a little mark that night, and when her mom was tucking her in that night and asked, she wanted to cry and tell her everything, but remembered what Zola said. "Mommy deserves to be happy. She makes everyone happy but she hasn't been happy since Daddy died." Ellie told her she hit head on a branch while playing in the tree house with Bailey earlier.

That was just the start of it. Ellie, never meaning to, was always getting into trouble, she was smarter than her own good and liked to cause mischief. Paul hated that. Over the next few months he grew closer with Zola and Bailey. Ellie watched as they began to think of him as their father. Ellie refused to think of him as dad. Her whole life Alex and the Chief and everyone else at the hospital told her stories of how awesome her dad was. Every time Paul hit her, she imagined a perfect world where her real dad was still alive and took her fishing and to play tennis and taught her to ride a bike. The longer it went on, the more she yearned for her dad, Derek. That's why for three years in a row she borrowed his ferryboat scrub cab and dressed as him for Halloween, which made her mom cry tears of joy.

It went on and on for years. Some days he would just spank her; on the worst days he hit her with rulers or something around his office. He said if he had it his way she wouldn't be in family and if she told her mom he would leave her and she would be so sad she would end up hating Ellie.

One night, a night she will never forget, Alex dropped her off after her tennis lessons and then headed back to the hospital. Paul had a big campaign coming to an end and was practicing his speech in the office nook. Ellie, having a lot of energy from sitting in school all day was running around the house pretending her tennis racket was a sword. Ellie accidentally bumped into his desk, knocking over his computer and breaking it. She had never seen him so mad. He grabbed her arm and twisted so hard, dragging her up the stairs; he locked them both in the bathroom and beat her with his belt, telling her she had to learn to behave. She felt like it went on for hours and to this day remembers lying in her bed after the ordeal and hearing her mom pull in with Zola and Bailey after picking them up from their music classes at school.

Her mom was concerned when she didn't want to come down for dinner and took her temperature. She lay in bed with her and began rubbing her back like she likes. Trying to hide it she pretended to sleep but couldn't help but wince when Meredith touched her back. Meredith Grey, loving mother with intuition, and excellent surgeon with medical training lifted up her shirt and found bruises and cuts all over her body.

"Oh my god, Ellie, what happened?!" Ellie began to cry, she was letting her mom down, she just wanted her mom to be happy. To this day she still feels like that. Like she is the cause of her mom's unhappiness. After hearing what happened, Meredith immediately ran down the stars and slapped Paul, telling him to get out of her house. She then called Alex. Alex rushed over. Ellie heard him slam the car door shut, leaving the car on, he ran inside "Where is he?" she had never seen him so angry. He saw the scared look on her face and examined her wounds, getting angry and angrier. He ran into the office and tackled Paul, beating him until Meredith pulled him off.. After the whole ordeal, Paul was charged with domestic violence and endangering the welfare of a child- his campaign officially ruined.

Fast-forward 8 years. Meredith had been on a few dates here and there, Zola moved out and was excelling as a junior in college while Bailey was a freshman. Ellie, a sophomore, loved her life. She spent a lot of time with her mom and went to the hospital after school like always. Today was no exception. She walked to the hospital to do homework in Chief Bailey's office before her tennis practice. Meredith got out of surgery in time for Ellie to say goodbye. It had stopped raining briefly so she decided she would walk to practice. As she was passing Joe's Bar, a familiar face walked up to her, clearly intoxicated. Paul. He was belligerent and grabbed her rambling angrily about how she ruined his life. She tried to fight her way out of his big arms as he threw her in the car but her tiny frame couldn't get away. He said he needed her to talk to the cops and his old campaign manager and fix everything she ruined.

He was flying, around turns, over curbs; they passed the outskirts of their neighborhood. Somehow he hadn't hit anything. They were over an hour away from the hospital and the bar, her school, her house, everything she knew and loved. He was speeding around turns and turns as it started pouring again. Her good sense told her to put on her seatbelt as he went faster and faster. Finally after her screaming he slowed a little, right before hydroplaning and skidding across the other lane into a pole.

She remembers her head bashing against the passenger window and then darkness. She woke up in an ambulance- the paramedic was assuring her that she would be ok and needed to stay awake. When they got to the hospital she was less foggy and doctors were trying to get answers: her name, her age, her mother and father's name, who she was with. When the friendly intern began stitching up her face but got paged to a bigger emergency, she didn't know what came over her- she just bolted. She sprinted through the unfamiliar hospital, slipping occasionally since her converse sneakers were soaking wet. She hated any hospital that wasn't her mother's. She made it to a quieter wing; some sort of extended nursing care and went into a dark room.

She began crying, the weight of everything that happened actually hitting her. Her head was pounding, her arm was throbbing and she was freezing. The thunderstorm outside only added to the way she felt- lonely, scared, hurt and depressed. She was definitely dark and twisty. As she sobbed uncontrollably, a barely audible voice in the dark room asked, "Are you ok?" in the most strained and weakest voice she'd ever heard.


	2. Chapter 2

She looked up and turned on the light switch she found above her. There was a man in the bed, with black, thick hair, and a long beard- like he had been lying there for years. He groaned when she turned on the lights. "I- I'm so sorry I didn't know anybody was in here, I'll go." As she bolted for the door, the man said, "Wait! Don't go- I please, don't go. I- I don't know… Just please don't go."

Ellie: "Sorry, I was just trying to get away from all the doctors…" she said through more tears. The man barely moved but could tell she was very upset and could tell by her voice that she was pretty young. "You can stay, and hide out more, if you'd like, I wouldn't mind the company." He said, voice getting stronger. She sat down in the corner, this time the corner next to his bed. For some reason she got a comforting feeling from this man and she needed all the comfort she could get.

"So… are you… ok?" he asked again, genuinely concerned. "I, I don't know…" she began crying again. He strained to reach his hand out, barely moving it. This man must've been here for years, she thought. And as if to reward him for his effort, or just a natural reaction she lifted her hand and put it on his. The simple feeling of another human felt nice to both of them. They sat there for a few minutes.

"What happened?" He asked. "You seem too young to be injured in the hospital all alone, where are your parents?" "My mom isn't here, it's a long story, her ex-boyfriend kind of abducted me while he was wasted and crashed into a pole while driving hammered" She laughed at the absurdity of the situation. "I don't want to deal with anything yet, I'm an avoider, I avoid things." She said, laughing a little, she thought of how crazy she must seem. "You remind me of someone…" he trailed off. Ellie felt more blood dripping down her face. "Shoot, my head is still bleeding.." She thought out loud. "You should get that cut on your head fixed, and get a CT to check for internal bleeding." She stood up so she was standing over him, for the first time they were face to face. Part of him looked familiar. By the way he was staring, she guessed he thought so too. "Your pupils are dilated- your probably have a concussion and definitely need stitches." He instructed as if it was second nature to him.

"How do you know all that, were you a doctor?" She asked. "I- I don't know, I think. But I don't know _who_ I am now that I think of it. "You don't know who you are?! And we're wasting time talking about my silly problems? And I look familiar to you but you don't even know who _you_ are…"She began rambling like she always did when there was a serious situation.

He calmly cut her off. "You seem to be worse off them me right now, I'll be ok, but please get medical attention." She giggled at how selfless and caring this man was.

She was about to begin to help him figure out who he was when he heard a familiar voice yelling from the halls. "How the hell do you lose a kid, she's only 15, and she's injured… you idiots- I'll have you all fired. Who runs this hospital?" It was Alex. She was nervous, but relieved he was here. He was one of her favorite people- the closest thing to a father. As he was frantically searching rooms, he noticed her and ran and embraced her. She broke down yet again.

He walked her out into a medical examination room. He stitched her up without asking questions. That's one of the things she loved about her uncle Alex. "How'd you know to come, or where to come, or that I was even here?"

"You must've left your when you bolted away from the doctors. They called your mom but she was in a surgery so I answered. I called her while I was driving here, she is on her way now." Her stomach dropped. "So she knows…" She didn't want to cause her mom any pain. He gave her a look as if to say, "don't be ridiculous, she is not going to be mad, she knows and she is worried."

After Alex stitched her forehead, and removed the glass in her hair, another doctor examined her arm, which was now bruised and swollen. They were assured it was just a concussion, but she did break her arm. The nice doctor put a cast on her arm and gave her a sling. They were about to walk out when Meredith ran in frantically. "Ellie, thank god! Are you ok? I am gonna kill that son of a bitch" She began crying, and Ellie hugged her as hard as she could. "I'm so sorry mom…" Meredith bent down and looked eye level with Ellie, "What the hell are you sorry about?"

"Mom I just want to make you happy. I want you to be happy. You are the best mom, you're my person and you make everyone so happy. But you're not happy. I feel like it's my fault- not that dad died, but all the things you've had to worry about and be sad about after all these years were my fault. I gave you gray hair…" She was now rambling uncontrollably, not unlike her mother. Meredith cut her off.. "El- I love you so much and hope you know that you gave me a million reasons to be happier over the years. You are the last piece of your father, and yes you may have given me gray hair over the years, but I would never trade that for the world. And it was only a couple gray hairs… Let's get that straight." They laughed and hugged again and began walking out of the hospital. "Wait- I, I have to say good-bye to somebody." She turned and walked back to the room she took shelter in only a few hours ago, Alex and Meredith followed.

She walked back into the room and looked at the chart. She was so used to being in hospitals she felt like she was already a doctor- she had seen her mom read patient charts so many times it was natural. This chart however was not what she expected. It had the name John Doe written on it and only provided specific medical details. "You are a male in the 50-60 year old range. You have blue eyes. You are in the year 2030 and in a hospital in the outskirts of Seattle… There, now you know 5 things about yourself you didn't know before. Thanks for everything… I, I hope you figure out who you are." As she was turning and leaving Meredith asked from the doorway "Honey, who is that?"

With that, the man on the bed shouted out "Meredith!" Everybody froze in their tracks.


	3. Chapter 3

Meredith remembers the night the cops showed up at her door like it was yesterday. The night Derek died. Derek, her soul mate, the love of her life. The man she finally chose to be happy with. They were supposed to be together, forever. They were Meredith and Derek. The next year zoomed by in a daze. She barely remembers the funeral, collecting her two small children and doing what she did before she had Derek, she ran. It wasn't until she had settled in a rental that she realized she never got her period. Thinking back to their last night together, and Derek saying he wanted more children made her lose it all over again. They moved again. She finally stopped accounting her nausea, to the stress of her current life and took a pregnancy test.

In those endless minutes waiting for the results, she tried not to think of Derek- but to this day, that is still impossible. She got her answer. All at once she was angry, upset, excited, ecstatic and morose. She of course wanted another piece of Derek, but it was so unfair that he couldn't be there- that she had to do this all alone. The birth was tough but Ellis Shepard was flawless. She looked just like him. She had pushed everyone but her kids away from her and didn't realize how alone she felt until she saw Alex.

He brought them home where they belonged. She began working again, lived with her sisters for a few years and life moved on. Zola, perfect as always, excelled in school and could do no wrong. She was the easy one, always pleasing everyone, the "perfect" child. Bailey, he reminded her so much of Derek, smart like him, kind and caring, and even though he was still young, she could already see Derek's dreaminess in him. She knew she would later be in trouble when girl started liking him, but when he was young, he was barely any trouble.

And then there was Ellie. She had quite the personality. Brilliant beyond belief, and unlike Bailey who inherited her blonde hair, was the spitting image of her dad. She had his dark, wavy hair, and his eyes, and his smile. She was rambunctious, and always getting into mischief, Meredith had her hands full for sure. Her high IQ got her into more trouble than a typical child of her age and was always getting hurt. She was giving Meredith Grey gray hair well before her time. She never said it out loud but thought of Ellie as a "gift" from Derek to keep her busy.

Life kept moving; she somehow managed to make a huge name for herself in surgery while never missing a piano recital, ballet recital, or soccer game. She kept her mind off of Derek and had the support of her "family." The family she built for herself. Her fellow surgeons and her kids. Zola basically lived with Callie and Arizona since she was so close with Sofia, although half the time Sofia lived with them adding to her brood. Alex was the perfect uncle/father to her kids. And then there was Bailey and Richard and her sisters. Annually they would visit Christina in Germany. They were all shocked how quickly Ellie picked up the language- it was then they discovered her photographic memory, just like Lexie.

With her hectic life, she was shocked she had time to meet Paul. He was never a replacement for Derek, Meredith knew nobody could fill that spot, but he was so sweet to her. Things moved incredibly slow, it was months before she introduced him to her kids. Zola and Bailey immediately bonded. Meredith remembers thinking how strange it was that Ellie never felt that bond and how she always clung around her when Paul was around. She wasn't complaining, she and Ellie were always close, and she was still so young, the baby- Meredith loved that Ellie clung to her and never wanted her to grow up.

Eventually, however, there were bigger signs that something was off. Ellie would have bruises on her arms and legs or red marks on her face, one time she even had a small burn. But Ellie was always rough while playing and even before Paul was around she had bruises from playing.

Still, Meredith is her mother and should've known. She will never forgive herself. That night she immediately sensed something wrong. Paul seemed agitated- more agitated than normal with his upcoming election. Ellie, energetic Ellie was in bed. After taking her temperature, Meredith cuddled up to her tiny, helpless 7-year-old that reminded her so much of Derek and saw her wince in pain. The amounts of bruising scrapes on her body nauseated her.

Ellie finally told her the truth through deep sobs. Meredith ran downstairs. She hit Paul repeatedly, tried kicking him out but he refused. She called Alex, who was over in minutes and had Paul pinned while she helped screaming Ellie. Zola and Bailey huddled in the corner. The cops came and arrested him. She never forgave herself for that. After sleeping with Ellie countless nights, assuring her how much she loved her, trying to make up for the hate she had endured and enrolling her in therapy, they finally moved on. She was determined that her children would not be scared from their childhood. And she was successful.

Zola successfully graduated high school with top honors and moved to Boston for College. She missed her but was so happy how successful she was being. Bailey luckily stayed a little closer but was still a few hours away. And just like that- it was just her and Ellie alone in a big house. Amelia and Maggie had moved out long ago. They had been in and out of "strays" since but the strays dwindled over the years. Meredith always wanted a full house so this was strange. Some nights it was just them, Ellie was definitely her person. She loved Zola and Bailey more than anything but her and Ellie clicked on a level beyond mother and daughter. Ellie had yet to know it, but as much as she could see Derek in Ellie, she also so herself, a little dark and twisty, and that was ok. Some nights they would watch movies and veg out to pizza and sweets watching surgeries, other on nights residents and attending's fighting with their significant others would spend the night and the house would be filled again, like a dorm room. Ellie would sleep with Meredith like old times.

That day, Ellie had tennis practice. She was going to states later that week and there was big talk of scholarships. Ellie was a prodigy- effortlessly good at everything she did. She was the talk of the town. Meredith usually drove her to practice but got pulled into an emergency surgery. She kissed Ellie goodbye and told her to text her with what she wanted for dinner. Her surgery went flawlessly- there were talks of a Harper Avery Award. She was heading to the Attending's lounge to shower when Chief Bailey sprinted her way. She was frantic. "There's been an accident." With those words Meredith went into panic mode. She lost Derek, she could not lose anyone else. She sensed it was one of her kids. As horrible thoughts raced through her mind she finally began listening to what Bailey was saying.

Her ears ringing, she finally made out "Alex picked up your phone… Ellie was in an accident.. Paul was drunk… She is ok,.. Harper Avery…. We didn't want to interrupt it… She's at Macedon Hospital." With that Meredith sprinted. She drove the fastest she's every driven, tears running down her face. How could she let him hurt her again?

She was so relieved to see her ok, but she looked like a mess. Soaking wet with matted down hair from the blood on her face, her arm in a cast, glass in her hair. They embraced and Meredith never wanted to let her go. Not only did she almost lose her person and her daughter, but she also almost lost the last piece she had of Derek. Ellie always made her think of Derek, even more than Bailey. There was something about her that was so innately him. God she missed him. She sensed him more than ever now. She never really believed much in spirits but maybe he was protecting Ellie tonight. The thought of that made her feel warm inside.

They were about to leave when Ellie ran to a room and began talking to a man lying on a bed. Black hair, long beard, you could barely even see his face and still she was drawn to him. Ellie walked back over to her and she felt the need to know who this man was. That's when a voice that she thought she would never hear again spoke. Sending chills down her spine, she heard the man exclaim her name. With a simple "Meredith!" she froze in her tracts. The simple exclamation of her name, in his voice, like the man was suddenly remembering after all these years. Nobody said anything; Meredith was too shocked to move.


	4. Chapter 4

He woke up. Where was he? His whole body hurt. How long has he been here? It was pitch black… What's happening, he was so confused. Then a question popped into his head, who was he? He was terrified and was thoroughly lost and confused. For what felt like an eternity he thought, trying to remember anything. With all his might, he tried to figure it out. Then somebody burst into the room. Squeaky, wet shoes crossed the floor. The person sat down in the far corner and immediately began sobbing. By the sounds of the wails, he guessed she was a girl and she seemed young.

Not knowing if he could speak he attempted a few times, finally a croak came out in a faint whisper, "Are you ok?" He could tell the girl was startled, he wished he could see her, but he couldn't move and was forced to stare at the ceiling. Something about her voice seemed familiar. That was such a crazy thought, how could anything be familiar, he didn't even know who he was. He talked her down and got a look at her face, a beautiful, tiny young girl, he guessed around 14 or 15. There was just something about that face, he knew it, or part of it.

After seeing the face he felt the need to console her more, he attempted to reach out, not knowing if he should, not even knowing if he could. He was relieved when she extended her arm and put her hand on top of his. He felt comforted and could tell she did as well. After the girl calmed down, he heard the voice of an angry man coming closer, it was also vaguely familiar. It was familiar to the girl as well because she ran out after the voice. Although he could still hear them in the hallway, he felt incredibly alone. His hand ached for the soft touch of her hand again. Body contact felt nice and something about her was so comforting. He heard her and the man walking farther down the hall until they were no longer audible. Just as she burst into his life, she left him alone, terrified and lonely.

It seemed like an eternity went by but it must've only been minutes. He attempted to reach for something to get attention. He was in some sort of hospital, but he could tell he was in a section not often visited. He locked eyes on a code button and attempted to push it. He must've done something in the medical profession since he knew what a code button looked like, he thought. As he was trying to move his arms more and more, the girl came back. This time he could hear the man again, and the footsteps of somebody else. He wished he could move his head more so he wasn't staring up at the ceiling but he was so stiff. The young girl came back and read some things off of his chart- not much, but something. She thanked him and wished him luck. As he was thinking of a reason for her to stay, he heard the voice. The most familiar and pleasant sounding voice he'd ever heard. The voice was enough to spark a memory. It flashed before his eyes. An exam room, a woman and what he could only believe was him, passionately kissing and taking off their clothes. So much love in the room. The faint memory brought so much emotion. He still didn't know much, but in that flash of a second, he remembered emotion and he knew that voice. Out of nowhere the name Meredith came to him. "Meredith!" He shouted.


	5. Chapter 5

Ellie looked between the man and her mom shocked, confused and a little scared. "Mom do you know him?" Meredith looked like she was freaking out internally, like something she couldn't believe just happened. Meredith thought to herself _, don't get your hopes up, that is not possible, you just miss him and your brain is playing tricks, but how does he know my name_? Ellie walked over to the man. "How do you know my mom?"

"I- I don't know, I just had a brief memory, but I know her." He said softly. "Mom come look at his face better, he doesn't know who he is- you need to help him."

But Meredith was stopped in her tracks. She was shocked a stranger knew her name without even looking at her, but he sounded so much like Derek and she didn't want to look because then she would have to face reality that it wasn't. She looked at Alex. He gave her a puzzling look as if he knew what she was thinking but didn't know why she wasn't moving. He stepped over to the man.

Alex thought to himself. _Familiar, yes definitely. This is a cruel trick. He looks like Shepherd did a little but he's dead. But how does he know Mer?_ The man was just staring back at him. Alex didn't know what to do so began to check his pupils, and then looked at his chart.

Meredith finally gained enough courage to move closer and stand over the man. Right as she hovered above him, she died a little inside. This man, was the spitting image of Derek. Her Derek, the man she loved and lost. He was older yes, and had a long messy beard, but the eyes, the nose, the hair- it was all his. She looked into the man's eyes.

As soon as her face entered his line of vision- it all came back. Not who he was, but who she was. He knew through her that he was a neurosurgeon and flashed back to a bar. He was in pain, heartbroken and locked eyes with the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. He bought her a drink, went home with her, she kicked him out only to find him at the hospital the next day. He shouldn't have been into her but he was. He flirted endlessly; she resisted but gave in during moments of weakness, like the elevator or in his car outside her house party. They couldn't stay away from each other. He hurt her, kept secrets from her. They had their ups and down, yelling, a lot of yelling and tears. A prom and an exam room. He knew he shouldn't follow her but he did. They finally made a go of things together; he remembers a lot of bubble baths and hot sex, and flirting. A ring and a baseball bat. Eventually back on the elevator with scans everywhere. A post-it note. A spina-bifida surgery. An adoption, another baby, a job offer, and then anger. Everything about them came flooding back to him. Their story, their beautiful, crazy, rollercoaster love story. Finally he saw a truck slam into his car. And heard her voice, whisper, "Derek, it's ok, you go."

Derek had tears running down his face. "Meredith, the crash, I'm so sorry, how long have I been out?" He knew the answer would be long. She's aged, and he can't move more than a finger.

She freaked out, turned around and ran. Alex had an exasperated look and awkwardly stood between the man appearing to be Derek and the daughter he never knew was born. "Dude, there's no way, I- I gotta go find her." And he left. His loyalty was to Meredith right now, and he was hoping El would follow.

Ellie could not be more confused. "You know my mom." She said it more as a statement than a question. He turned his neck slightly to look back at the girl. That's why she was so familiar; she was a part of Meredith. Meredith had another baby after the crash? He must've been here for so long she moved on and remarried- this kid is like 14.

"She's my wife." He replied, not sure what verb tense to use. A tear dropped from Ellie's eye. "My mom isn't married, she's widowed, was before I was born." And then it became too much and Ellie had to find her mom, she turned and left.

Derek was astonished. He needed to know what was going on. And then he remembered. Ellie read it on the chart- it's the year 2030. He has been laying here for 15 years. He began hyperventilating. _Why did the girl say Meredith was a widow, did she think he died? How could this happen?_ His thoughts were too much.


	6. Chapter 6

Meredith was in complete and utter shock. How could this be happening? It was him. Derek. After all these years… She slumped down in a chair in the hallway. After not too long Alex came out. " This is crazy… right? I'm just going crazy?" She asks him thoroughly confused. " I don't know Mer- I'm just as confused as you are. We'll do some tests to confirm it's him… and if it is, we'll figure out an explanation." He couldn't believe what he was saying.

"I mean- I sat by his bedside, I looked at his charts- he was brain-dead. I watched them unhook him and witnessed him die. I don't get it. We had a funeral…. I was in a fog for weeks afterward but he was dead… Oh god- I raised kids alone. I dated again. I'm a terrible person." Alex embraced Meredith, not knowing what to say. Ellie ran down the hall. "Mom what is going on- who is he? Why is he saying that you are his wife?" She began to break down. She had a faint idea of what this could mean but couldn't take in the enormous realization. She was hoping her mom had another explanation… Anything, that this man was crazy or something. All Meredith replied at the time was, "I don't know yet Ellie, we're going to figure this out."

Alex stayed at the hospital to run test with the doctors. He felt they were incompetent and knew Meredith needed confirmation from someone she trusted. It was 1:45am and instead of driving an hour and a half home, Meredith took Ellie to a nearby hotel. She helped her shower and get warm, she helped get the dried smeared blood on Ellie's face and brushed her hair in bed while watching TV. For the first time all night she felt a little happy. It reminded her of when the kids were little. She had so many nights like this. Zola would be practicing her violin while Bailey played on the floor with his trucks. Meredith would take Ellie out of the bath and wrap her in a towel and cuddle while listening and watching her kids. She would brush their hair and put them to bed. Those years were difficult but also wonderful.

As it got earlier and earlier in the morning Ellie finally fell asleep and Meredith thought about everything Derek missed. If this was him, she didn't know how she was going to handle it, or how he was going to handle it. He was always the one who wanted a big family, and he missed it all. Suddenly she needed to see the man again. She kissed Ellie on the forehead and left her a note.

When she got to the hospital, she immediately went to the man's room. She refused to call him Derek until she knew for sure. He was all alone in the room. _Alex must still be running tests_ , she thought. Perfect, she wanted to speak with him alone. She awkwardly crossed the room and sat down next to his bed, unsure of what to say or do. He turned his head slightly, already more than he could move a few hours ago, that was a good sign. She began reading his chart.

"Meredith…" he said in a whispered relief, like he had been aching for her. "Hi, um, I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you…" She said awkwardly. "No you didn't, I'm so glad you came back, I have so many questions…"

"Well, I don't have any answers… I don't know what's happening, I don't know who you are." She could tell his heart sank. "Meredith, it's me Derek, what the hell is going on. I'm Derek Shepherd; I'm your husband. We have two kids together. I know something awful happened, I know a lot of time has passed but you can't say you don't know me…" He began hyperventilating again. He tried to calm himself before the monitors went off. He didn't want the nurses to come back in; he needed to be alone with her.

"Derek died. Over fifteen years." Even after all that time, saying it out loud still took her breath away. "But I'm not dead- I'm right here Meredith, it's me." She finally allowed herself to believe it; she no longer needed the test confirmation. She began to cry and a tear fell from his eye. She laid down next to him, resting her head on his chest. Now she's really lost it. She dreamed about this moment ever since he died, how could it really be happening.

Alex burst in. "Mer, blood tests confirm, its Derek." He was utterly speechless and then noticed she already knew that. "I'll leave you two alone." As he was turning to leave Meredith sat up. "Take my hotel key card, I don't want her waking up alone. Radisson Hotel just down the street, room 204." He nodded and walked out.

Meredith laid on Derek's chest for a few hours. They were both so content, but he finally wanted some answers to his questions. "After seeing your face, everything sort of came back to me. I remember us, and how I was working in D.C. and got into an accident. I'm trying to put the pieces together. The crash must've been right around the time of my last visit there because all I remember is heading to the airport but I didn't make it. I was so happy with my decision to stay home, it's so unfair." He looked at her. Meredith nodded and began the impossible story.

"It was your last time going to D.C. The night before you told me that you were so happy with me, and the kids, and you never want to give it up, you wanted more. Then you headed out saying you'd be back the next day. I got a call saying you never showed up, you missed your flight and I couldn't get a hold of you all day. That night the cops showed up at my door. They took Zola and Bailey and I to a small hospital where you were declared brain-dead. I took you off the ventilators knowing nothing more could be done and you wouldn't want to live that way. I don't know how you ended up alive and in this hospital bed after all those years. That part I am so angry and confused about."

He stared at her intently as if asking her to go on. She continued, "I mean we had a funeral for you and everything, you were gone. I was a mess. I took the kids and left in the middle of the night. I couldn't be around Seattle anymore, or in that beautiful house haunted by the memories of you. For a year we were gone…"

"How are Zola and Bailey?" He interrupted. He needed to know this first, before he heard all the rest. He knew it would be painful to hear about them growing up but thought it would make it easier to know that they are happy and healthy right now. "They are both amazing Derek. Zola is 21- a junior majoring in Hospital management in Boston at Harvard. Bailey is a freshman at Stanford, he doesn't know what he wants to major in yet." Derek smiled a painful smile. _God how are they in college_ , he thought to himself. "And that girl who calls you mom, di-" he hesitated, he didn't want to know the answer to this, "did you remarry?"

Meredith let out a laugh. "No Derek, I never remarried, barely even dated." He was shocked. "It's been 15 years Meredith, and you thought I was dead…" He trailed off. "Well when the kids were little, there really was no time, and I was so busy with work when they got older, I dated here and there but was never really interested in anybody. I dated Paul for a while but it turns out he was a terrible man… which brings us here, I guess."

"So is that girl..." he started. "Ellie." Meredith interrupted. "Is Ellie Paul's daughter?" He asked. She smiled, nervous to tell him. "No Derek, she is all you." Her smile got even brighter. For the first time she saw him smile as well. "We had another baby." He confirmed to himself through a smile. Then the smile faded. He missed _everything_ about her life. At least with Zola and Bailey he was there for some of it, but he just met her today.

Meredith saw the realization hit him and felt the need to explain. "When I left Seattle with the kids… I was finally starting to figure things out, I rented a house, the kids were in school, and then I realized I was pregnant. I mean the last morning we spent together you told me you wanted more kids, and we got busy that morning." She laughed. "She was my gift from you, and boy was she a handful, but she was the last piece I had of you… that anyone had of you. I was terrified but wanted her so much."

"How was the pregnancy, and the birth? I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you, you did it all alone." Tears began rolling down his cheek. Meredith squeezed his hand. "It was all ok. For my hostile uterus the pregnancy went well. I was so depressed, dark and twisty, the pregnancy made me push on. About three weeks early my uterine lining ruptured, Zola called 911. The birth was tough and scary and part of me wanted to die, but then I saw her and she was so innately you. It was magical. Alex picked us up and took us back to Seattle."

"Mer, I'm so sorry, you did it all alone" He whispered. She squeezed his hand. "I'm so sorry you missed it… so so sorry. But don't be sorry. I eventually got stronger, Alex became like a father figure or an uncle, he was amazing. Bailey, Callie, Arizona, Richard, we formed a family. I had a lot of support from them. And Maggie and Amelia lived with us for a while. I was ok Derek, we got through." He smiled, "I'm glad Amelia was apart of their lives." Meredith nodded, "Derek all of your sisters were a part of their lives. We visited your mom once a year." He smiled. He was amazed at how she handled everything. "So now what?" He asked almost with a chuckle. "Now, I take you home, and you get better, and spend time with your kids."


	7. Chapter 7

Ellie woke up with Alex in the other queen bed. She read the note from her mom explaining that she headed back to the hospital. Her head was pounding and her wrist ached. She put on her jeans that were now dried. She attempted to put on her soggy, blood stained shirt but threw it out and instead but on Alex's sweatshirt. When she came out of the bathroom Alex was awake holding out a banana and some medications for her to take. She loved how he always knew exactly what she needed. Alex was close with Zola and Bailey too but Alex was particularly close with Ellie. They had a secret handshake and everything. "We should head to the hospital to see your mom and-" He cut off. Ellie looked down and pushed her hair out of her face. "She's with him, she went back last night so she knows who he is… Alex who is he? I need somebody to say it." She was shaking a little. "I'm gonna let your mom do the explaining." They gathered all of their belongings and checked-out.

They walked into the man's room. Ellie saw her mom lying on the bed with the man. "Hi mom." She stood there uncomfortably shifting her weight from side to side. Meredith jumped up and walked over and gave Ellie a hug. "How are you feeling?" She asked moving her messy hair behind her shoulders and out of her face. "I'm fine." With that the man on the bed chuckled. "God she's just like you Mer- you guys must always be fine." Ellie looked at Meredith puzzled. "Honey we should talk." They left the room and sat in the hallway.

"El, I don't know how this happened, but, that man, is Derek Shepherd. He's your dad. Somehow, this happened and it makes me sick thinking about it, but he _is_ alive, and he _is_ your dad." A tear fell from Ellie's eye. "How could this happen? Whose fault is this? How could they do this? They ruined lives. How do I go in there and talk to my dad for the first time in my life?" Ellie rambled on angrily.

Meredith was a little shocked at her reaction. "I don't know honey, you don't have to go in there right now if you don't want to." "Mom, I don't think I'm ready." "Ok, then we wait." She knew Derek would be disappointed but didn't want to push Ellie. She brushed Ellie's dark hair out of her face again and then got up to speak to someone about discharging Derek. After speaking for about an hour with a kind nurse, Derek would be discharged the next day if he could sit up. Meredith was torn with wanting to be with Derek and wanting to be with Ellie. It shouldn't be this way; her whole family should be together. Alex took Ellie to get food while Meredith helped Derek with the Physical therapist. When Alex and Ellie came back later that night with take-out for Meredith and Derek, he was sitting up an extending his arms.

The three of them went back to the hotel for the night. None of them could sleep. Meredith had called Zola and Bailey, which was the hardest phone call she ever had to make. Bailey only had 2 finals left so planned to leave immediately after them in a few days. Bailey would be home for summer by the weekend but Zola had committed to an internship in Germany and would only be able to make it home for a long weekend before she needed to head there, which she was incredibly upset about.

Meredith woke up the next morning nudging Ellie who was sleeping beside her. Alex was snoring in the other bed but woke when Meredith got in the shower. Within 30 minutes they were out the door. They went to Derek's room where he was already in his wheelchair. As they were leaving the hospital they walked past Paul's room. Meredith wanted to kill him. Ellie turned into the room and Meredith tried to hold her back. Ellie picked up his chart. Meredith was right behind her, even though he was handcuffed, she did not want to leave him alone with her. Alex wheeled Derek in as well when Ellie began to speak. Tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't hate people. I have a lot of wonderful people in my life that I love. When I was little, you were my monster. I hated you more than anything because to me, you weren't a person. You were an ugly, scary, mean monster. Up until two days ago, I hated you. But now… I am thankful for you. It is because of you that my mom and I ended up in this hospital. Because of you, my mom is now with my dad. I always wondered why you were brought into my life. Now I know, without you, my dad would still be here, and I would still be without a father. So while you are a monster, I am thankful for you. And while you are rotting in jail, as a paraplegic, I will be at home, happy with my family. Thanks." She looked at everybody staring back at her. Derek was shocked she called him dad; she had been so distant ever since finding out. _That was step._ He thought to himself. Meredith wanted to say so much to him but was so angry she couldn't find the words. Ellie's speech was so dignified and caught her off-guard. In her most levelheaded voice she began, "For the last time, stay away from her, she's mine." She didn't understand why those words came out, she knew he wouldn't be able to move, and he'd be in jail. She just needed him to know how she felt; she then spit towards him and walked out. Alex smirked and began wheeling Derek out as he said, "have a nice life you son of a bitch."


	8. Chapter 8

After a long drive home, both cars pulled into the driveway. Ellie rode with Alex he and kept her distracted talking to her about tennis, and school. Meredith and Derek had a somewhat quiet ride home. It was a lot for them to take in. When they pulled up, Derek just stared out the window at the house he built for Meredith. His memory was as if 15 years ago was 2 days ago. The house looked almost the same. The house looked a bit older and there was a tree house to the left of the driveway that he'd never seen, but for the most part, he felt comfort in being home. Alex helped Derek out of the passenger seat and into the chair. Derek was so frustrated at his stiff and weak body and wanted to pour himself into physical therapy. That would have to come later. He needed to help his mind first. They all walked in. All were shocked to find a busy house. Dr. Clark, general surgery resident was there with Dr. Morgan and Dr. Erickson. They were all somewhat close with Meredith and knew of her open door policy. Meredith didn't want the company and was relieved to discover they came to watch Ellis's old surgery tapes and were headed back to the hospital.

Alex had to get to the hospital but said he would be back later to check in. Derek watched as he hugged Meredith and Ellie goodbye. Ellie squeezed him hard and he kissed the top of her head. Derek's heart sank a little with the jealousy that Alex was so close with the daughter he just met. "See ya Shepherd, glad your back." And then it was just the three of them. Derek moved from the wheelchair to the couch with a little help from Meredith. He was pleased with his progress. "I'm going to go shower mom, then I should probably do some homework." Ellie went upstairs and Meredith sat down next to Derek.

"This is crazy." She said leaning against him. "I know. I wish she would talk to me…" He suddenly blurted out. "As much as she is you, she is me. A little dark and twisty and an avoider, she runs when she doesn't know how to handle a situation, and this is a huge thing to handle. She will come around, you two just need time." "Tell me more about her." He said with that McDreamy look. Meredith had the urge to kiss him but resisted. They needed to take things slow.

"Well she was born January 4th 2016. She was early, and tiny, but she was beautiful. Her full name is Ellis Christina Shepherd. Uhh.. what else… She has a photographic memory, like Lexie. She has been classified as a genius, an actual genius Derek. And is being looked at for Division 1 colleges for Tennis. She was a crazy, wild child. That mixed with her brilliant brain, athleticism and an older brother made her constantly getting into trouble, or breaking valuables around the house, our breaking bones. We single-handedly kept the orthopedic wing of the hospital open. I think now with this broken arm she's up to 9 broken bones…."

"Oh wow, you had your hands full." Derek chuckled. "Yea, she was a handful, but she's my person." Meredith smiled.

Meredith got up and put a frozen pizza in the oven. It was only 3 pm but she realized they hadn't really eaten anything today. She saw flowers on the kitchen counter and brought them into the living room. "What's that? Derek asked when he saw the flowers. "They're from Ellie's coach, they say Get Well Soon. Alex must've called him telling him she wouldn't be at sectionals, she's been working so hard for this." Derek looked down. Meredith realized she hadn't checked her phone in a few days. She began listening to voicemails. "Anything important?" Derek asked. "Just calls from Ellie's school about her absences, I should probably call them back." They both knew they were just avoiding more serious conversations.

Not too long after the shower turned off upstairs, Ellie came back down. She sat next to Meredith and rested her head on her shoulder snuggling close. A few tears ran down her face. "What's wrong honey?" Meredith was genuinely concerned; Derek was amazed at how wonderful of a mother she was. Ellie broke down. "My head and arm hurt so bad, and I'm exhausted and I have so much homework due tomorrow…" She was rambling on, Meredith kissed her forehead, brushed her hair out of her face and calmed her down.

"You don't have to go to school tomorrow, El. You've been through a lot. Alex called your coach from the hospital the other day and he knows who won't be at your match. Oh, he sent you flowers."

Ellie didn't respond. She was upset about not being able to compete; this was supposed to be her year. She knew her mom had a lot to deal with and didn't want to worry about her as well as her dad so she didn't say anything. Just then, two teenagers barged into the house. It was Emma and Liam. Emma was Ellie's best friend. They met in kindergarten and were inseparable ever since. Now that they were the only sophomores on the varsity tennis team, they basically spent every waking second together. "SO YOU ARE ALIVE? How could you drop off the face of the earth for 2 days and not even text me- wait what happened?" Emma exclaimed all in one breath. She went from raging made to clearly concerned when she saw the cast. "Long story but I was in a car accident, shoot I'm so sorry I lost my phone in the crash and haven't even had time to think about it since. I'm sorry" Ellie said. Emma hugged her. "I'm so glad your ok, oh no! This means I have to sit alone on the bus to sectionals by myself tomorrow…" She drifted off.

"Em, stop being so selfish jeez.." Ellie met Liam last year. They both had crushes on each other but neither dared to act on it. They grew closer over the past year and Ellie was glad he showed up. "I'm glad you're ok Shep." She smiled. He always called her that, and she loved it. They hugged awkwardly and then became very aware that Meredith was in the room. "Uh hi Dr. Grey, it's nice to see you again." Liam mumbled. "Hi Liam, it's nice to see you too." Emma smiled at Meredith "Hey Mom what's for dinner?" She asked sarcastically. Emma was so comfortable in their house she called Meredith mom. Emma then realized the man sitting on the couch and gave a side-glance to Ellie. "Well… we just wanted to make sure you were ok, I'll call you on your moms cell tomorrow…" And as soon as they arrived they were gone.

"What was that hug?" Meredith smirked and looked at Derek and Ellie. The oven went off. "Pizzas done! I'll get it! Boy, I'm starving, let's eat." She mumbled and ran out of the room clearly avoiding the question. Meredith and Derek laughed. Derek couldn't believe this was the age he had to enter his daughter's life. He didn't like the thought of her with boys but couldn't be a protective dad because he was barely her dad. He tried to push the sadness and anger down.

The three enjoyed a nice quiet night. They ate pizza on the couch, and watched a movie until they all fell asleep. They all woke up when Alex came in. "Hey sorry, didn't mean to wake you just wanted to check in." "We're great thanks Alex, I should've called, you didn't need to drive all the way out here again, you should go be with Jo." Meredith yawned. "Yea well she's pissed I was gone for 2 days so I need to crash here if that's ok." Meredith nodded. "I'm going up to bed, goodnight everybody." Ellie walked upstairs followed by Alex.

"Well you should probably get some sleep too…" Meredith stated awkwardly. "Me, I've been sleeping for 15 years Meredith, you're the one who raised 3 kids alone while being a surgeon and was up for pretty much 48 hours straight." They both laughed. "Oh right, well I'm going to go to bed. Do you think you can walk upstairs?" She asked hopefully. "Unfortunately looks like I'm parked here for awhile." Both were incredibly disappointed. Meredith set him up with pillows and blankets and went to bed. For the first time in 15 years, she slept peacefully.

The next morning Meredith woke up at 10am. The longest she'd slept in in a long time. Ellie walked into her room and lay down next to her. "I don't know what to say to him. I want to talk to him but never think of anything to say." She said with disappointment. "El you have 15 years of experiences to choose from. He's going to want to hear all of it so just be yourself and talk about anything. Talk about the time you and Bailey got stuck together for hours in those handcuffs you found around the hospital. Or Zola's graduation day, when you and Emma got caught in a rainstorm as you walked to the ceremony and you were drenched in every picture we have of that day. They both laughed.

"He already loves you sweetie, and I have a surgery so you will have a few hours to get to know him and you'll see you love him back." They got up and walked down stairs, Derek was still on the couch where they left him watching TV again. "Oh thank god, I'm starving." He said. They all laughed. Alex and Meredith got ready to go to the hospital. Meredith was in the "mom zone" listing off everything everyone needed to do for the day. "Bailey will be getting her later tonight, I have a surgery scheduled for 12pm and 4 pm. I may not be out in time to pick him up. I'll see if Richard can, he's retired, I'm sure he'll want something to do. Derek, make sure she does some homework today. She will tell you it's done, but its not. El- don't forget to feed your father. Ok love you call me if you need anything." She kissed Ellie on the head who was on the couch next to Derek. She looked at Derek. "Love you, sorry these surgeries have been scheduled for months. I'm taking the rest of the week off. I'll send a physical therapist to the house. Have a great day." She kissed him on the cheek like it was still a habit. And with that they were both gone and it was just Ellie and Derek.


	9. Chapter 9

After a couple minutes of awkward silence, Derek turned the TV off. "So, your mom tells me you are quite the tennis star." He said trying to spark conversation. "I'm not a star, just on the school team." She looked down uncomfortably. "I think your just being modest." He smiled. She smiled but didn't respond. "I know this is difficult and weird but in the hospital we talked and it went well, and I want to get to know you." He said sincerely. "I know, I want to know you too… it's just…" He looked at her with his "McDreamy" face she had always heard about, now she understood it. "Ellie, what is it?" "It's just, my whole life I heard stories about my "amazing" dad. My whole life I was jealous of Zola and Bailey for knowing you when I didn't get to, my whole life I witnessed my mom always slightly sad. And when Paul was around, I always dreamed about my "amazing" dad coming and saving the day and we'd all be a happy family again. I put you on a pedestal and I'm afraid it won't work out as perfectly as I imagined all those years… and I don't know I'm sorry…" He put his arm around her, not knowing if it was ok, but she leaned in and it felt nice. "So how did you meet my mom?" She smiled. He was happy she was making an effort.

"Now that is a very long story." He smiled. "Well I was married..." He began. "Oh right, to Addison right? I met her, she's very nice." Ellie interrupted. Derek was shocked, why on earth would she have met Addy? Ellie saw the shocked look on his face and explained. "She came to Seattle one time for a patient. I was running around the hospital- when your mom owns it - you can do whatever you want. I was actually rollerblading I think, racing Bailey and I crashed into a nursing cart outside an exam room she was in. She picked me up and stayed with me until Aunt Amelia came. Even at 5 with a broken thumb I could sense some awkwardness in the room when my mom got out of surgery and came in. Addison told me that she used to know my dad." Derek smiled, iked this story. Although he didn't love her like that; it was nice to hear about Addison, and people in his past.

"Hmm, small world. Well anyway I was new to Seattle after things with Addison didn't work out and met your mother in a bar. To make this story much shorter, we eventually became a couple, moved in together, got married and started a family." "Cool." Ellie shrugged. "Yea, it seems like ages ago now…" Derek said. There was an awkward silence. "Well I'm hungry, would you mind making me something? I would but kind of can't move too well." Derek asked. "Sure, but you should know I can't really cook and we probably don't have food if all those doctors were around the past few days."

He smiled, "Your mom never cooked either, only sandwiches, how about peanut butter and jelly?" He suggested. "I'm allergic to peanuts… deathly actually." She looked down to avoid eye contact; a father should know this kind of stuff. "Oh, well anything is fine." She went into the kitchen and brought out cereal. He laughed. "It was this or leftover Chinese, and I remember my mom saying that you were a health nut so I figured you wouldn't be into that." He began eating.

"How much did your mom talk about me?" "Kind of a lot. It started when I got old enough to want to know and asked a lot of questions about you. Then she kind of just brought up random facts; she liked talking about you. I know a lot about you actually." She smirked. "Really like what?" He quizzed her. "Well… like you have a thing for ferryboats, you were a really amazing neurosurgeon, your dad was killed when you were little, you were shot once, it was your idea to adopt Zola, your scar on your forehead was from riding motorcycles… although I'm not sure if that was real or she just didn't want to us riding motorcycles." He laughed. "Wow I'm impressed. Now I know your full name, your birthday, your talents, your friend's name, the fact that you play tennis, and that you have a photographic memory and you are deathly allergic to peanuts. What else should I know? Any other allergies I should be aware of?"

They talked the rest of the day until Derek made her go do some homework. She hugged him as she went into the dinning room to work; he slowly moved into the bathroom to shave his beard. The physical therapist came over to get some strength and mobility back.

At 6 o'clock Meredith walked in, Derek froze as he realized who was standing behind her. His son. Derek Bailey Shepherd. A perfect mix of both him and Meredith. He had the charming masculine characteristics of Derek, with Meredith's soft features and blonde hair. Derek remembered him as a two and a half year old like it was yesterday. Now this 6 foot 18 year old was standing before him. "Dad…" He said.


	10. Chapter 10

Ellie and Meredith stood awkwardly. Derek was actually standing; his PT session did wonders for him. Bailey finally moved in and hugged him. Ellie had never seen her big brother cry, but tears rolled down his cheeks. That night Bailey and Derek caught up. Ellie was jealous at how easy it was for Bailey to talk to him. There was no awkwardness there. Her whole life people told her she was so much like her father, but right now she felt like she was identical with her mother. Bailey and Derek had pretty much the same personality.

Meredith was so pleased with how things were going. She was aching to be close to Derek but knew things needed to go slow. She spoke with Ellie and was delighted to hear that they really hit it off. Derek and Bailey were now in a weird conversation where they were deep in serious conversation half the time and laughing hysterically the other half. She just couldn't wait for Zola to get here and for them to all be a family again.

Meredith ordered a pizza and Derek and Bailey finally stopped chatting when it was delivered. Bailey walked into the dinning room finally saying hi to his sister. "What's up loser? Glad your ok… really shocked to see you in a cast, it's been like what a month since your last one?" Bailey laughed and hugged his much smaller little sister. Meredith went into the kitchen to get plates as Derek stood watching his two biological children interact. It was amazing. They were so similar but so different from what he could tell. Both were different mixes of their parents but he couldn't tell who looked more like whom.

They enjoyed a pleasant dinner together. Derek loved just watching his family chat. He couldn't wait to see Zola; but knew she'd be in tomorrow. Bailey began unpacking things he brought home from college. Ellie went upstairs. Meredith did the dishes while Derek, enjoying his newfound freedom in his ability to walk, was looking at various pictures on the wall. There was one of Alex, Meredith, Christina, Zola, Bailey, and newborn Ellie at the Joe's, _must've been some sort of "meet the baby gathering"_ he thought by the balloons in the background. There were school pictures of all three of his children through the years, sports pictures, the kids sitting on Santa's lap. Another of Alex holding a 5-year-old Ellie in his scrubs as she kissed his cheek, he could tell they were really close. A picture of Zola and Richard at "special person's day" at school, and a picture of everybody at a softball field. Like the old team, Callie, Arizona, Sofia and Zola, Bailey with Bailey and Tuck, Alex with his arm around Meredith who was holding a pig-tailed Ellie, Richard, Owen, Amelia and Maggie and a lot of other people he didn't recognize. He came to a picture of adorable 7-year-old Ellie in scrubs she barely fit in and ferryboat scrub cap and a smile with missing two front teeth.

"She was you for Halloween three years in a row." Meredith said with a smile on her face. "It was adorable, but killed me inside." He hugged her. "This is a mess. I can't believe my life has passed by and I missed it. I missed all of these memories. And you did it all alone... Meredith it must've been so hard, I'm so sorry." He kissed her cheek. She turned and met her lips to his. The kiss deepened as the wrapped their arms around each other. Just like old times. They stayed downstairs for a few hours. Talking about surgeries to keep their mind off of their harsh reality. They were dying to go upstairs but knew they shouldn't, they needed to take things slow. Plus they were waiting for Bailey and Ellie to go to bed. At 2am, after a couple hours of making out on the couch like teenagers, they finally decided to go upstairs.

They kissed again when they reached the top of the stairs and opened the door to their room. Post it on the nightstand. Derek wanted to grab her and rip her clothes of and throw her to the bed, but he didn't have all of his strength back. He gently eased her over to the bed, hand in her hair. He took off her jeans, then panties. She stood up and took his shirt off. He lifted her shirt over her head and ripped her bra. She squealed in excitement, and then tried to be quiet again, knowing their kids were in the rooms down the hall. She pulled down his pants. They both admired each other. Still so attracted to each other after 15 years, even after their bodies aged slightly. She lay down again, pulling him with her. He laid on top of her pushing his tongue down her throat. She ran her hands through his hair, she loved that she could now see his face and the beard was gone. They teased each other for a little while, still knowing what each other liked, like the past 15 years never happened.. Finally, they were together again, as one. The whole night was magical.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning Meredith woke up early, Derek's arms still wrapped around her. She still thought this could be a dream and was relieved that it wasn't. She kissed him and got up to put her clothes on laughing and her broken bra. "That was amazing." Derek muttered, eyes still closed. "Yea…" She said smiling. "You should come back to bed…" He patted his hand on the bed. Meredith, now fully clothed started brushing her hair. "Wish I could but I have to drive Ellie to school, she can't miss anymore days. Then I have go grocery shopping since Bailey is home and is going to need more food than a box of cereal. Ellie's not much of an eater, so I'm used to going months without shopping unless Bailey's home. Then I have a meeting with one of Ellie's school advisors... She's probably in trouble again. She's so smart but doesn't try, she won't apply herself. She skips classes, doesn't do homework unless she's in tennis season and has to, and she pulls so many pranks…" Meredith rambled on and on but Derek was thoroughly listening. "Then Zola needs to be picked up at the airport and I was thinking we could go out for dinner."

"So what should I do today, I could help you with everything." "I'd love you too but the physical therapist is coming over this morning, gotta get your body moving again." He laughed and winked, "I think I was moving pretty well last night…" "Haha yes you were. She kissed him as he sat up in bed. The kiss got deeper but Meredith pulled away. Derek was confused. "Seriously, Ellie can't be late and she's probably not even out of bed yet." "Seriously…" He repeated, kissing her like old times. They both laughed as they were reminded of the time when she was being serious about taking it slow and Derek couldn't keep his hands off of her. "You relax in bed longer, the PT will be here around 10. I will drop Ellie off and run some errands, then I'll come back and you can come to Ellie's school if you want, then we can pick up Zola together." "Sounds amazing." He said.

Meredith walked out to get Ellie out of bed, which was always a struggle. She hated school. Meredith was always so frustrated by that. Ellie was so smart she didn't even need to really try but she put no effort into it and was barely getting by. She finally got her up and out the door and to school, barely on time. She went to the bank and grocery shopping and came home to find Bailey playing video games on the couch while Derek was finishing his PT.

Shortly after, they informed Bailey what they were doing and asked him if he wanted to come. "I'm gonna catch up with the guys, but I can meet you at dinner once you pick up Zola, I'll pick up El after her detention and we'll see you there." Bailey stated. "Ellie has detention again?!" Meredith was clearly angry. "Yea haha she made some sort of bad smelling concoction in chemistry and put it in the vents… the whole school smelled terrible. She's a legend… I even heard about it through my friends not her. She's a genius." Bailey and Derek started laughing but Meredith saw no humor in the topic. Derek stopped laughing when he noticed how angry Meredith looked and the two left for the school.


End file.
